Electrical components generate heat during normal operation, which must be continuously dissipated to ensure proper operation. Excessive heat can negatively affect the performance of an electrical system, as component parameter values generally vary with temperature. At particularly high temperatures, components may no longer perform within specification and may experience failure. This is especially true of resistive elements, which are used in numerous electronic systems and devices. As these systems and devices continue to decrease in size, the dimensions of their electrical components must also decrease accordingly. While the physical size of electric systems and their components have gotten smaller, the power requirements of these systems, and the heat generated therefrom, have not necessarily reduced in magnitude. Therefore, the heat generated by the components must be carefully managed in order to maintain safe and reliable operating temperatures for the systems.
Resistive elements can have many different configurations. Some of these configurations lack efficient heat dissipation capabilities. While resistive elements can be mounted to heat sinks so that heat is dissipated through conduction at the points of thermal contact between the resistive element and the heat sink, this does not always provide sufficient heat dissipation. During operation, typical resistors can develop hot spots in the center of the resistive element (e.g., away from the heat sinking benefits of the electrical leads). Overheated resistive material is susceptible to changes in resistivity, resulting in a resistor that shifts out of tolerance over its life, or during periods of power overloading. This problem is particularly acute in high-current or pulsed applications employing very small components. Some resistor configurations are limited to resistors with larger form factors. As the size of the resistor decreases, it becomes increasingly difficult to provide adequate heat dissipation capabilities. These heat dissipation concerns also pertain to other small form electrical components, such as inductors, capacitors, semiconductor dies, and microprocessors.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide electrical components such as resistive elements with enhanced heat dissipation capabilities. It is also desirable to provide electrical components with enhanced heat dissipation means that are suitable for small form factors and can be incorporated into existing systems. It is also desirable to provide electrical components with enhanced heat dissipation means that are economical in manufacture, durable in use, and efficient in operation.